Anyone Enjoy Precancels???

Would it help if somebody gave you one?





-Allen

Allen, That seems to be a bit heavy for a precancel!

Sorry to step in, but I just like to make sure everyone is on the same page!

Town & Types are not a category of US precancel stamps but a methodology on how to collect them. The idea being of trying to collect a representative issue to match each town & type listed in the PSS Town & Type Catalog of the United States & Territories . It would would include all possible types.

The first thing to know is that there are precancel devices that apply the precancel overprint to each type. It is from which method of procurement that creates the major categories to start precancels.

US Precancels are are divided into two major categories:

A) Contracted Devices
B) Local Devices

Contracted Devicesstarted in 1913 when the USPO started to standardize the precancel process throughout the US. These devices are directly ordered by the PO then many of these were sent to the Bureau of Engraving other devices would be distributed to local post offices as required. These are called:

a) Bureaus used for PO's needing no less then 250,000 precancels are needed
b) Contract Locals; used at any assigned PO's large or small

Now contract locals have 5 subgroups:

1) City-Type Coils
2) Electroplates
3) Rubber Handstamps
4) Stereo Handstamps
5) Vinyl Handstamps

City-Type Coils were principally used in large cities where coils were needed but volume was <250,000 stamps. Special coil machines were supplied by the USPO using 3 different devices. These are generally obsolete.
a) Rubber
b) Electroplates
c) Steel

Electroplates were used principly for PO that neede large number of precancel stamps. These are usually deep black in apprearence & uniformly ink. This group includes the DLE's (Double Line Electros).

Rubber handstamps were used mostly for small PO's. This device wore poorly resulting in wide variotions of inking distortion. Last supplied to PO's in 1932, though their used continued on at many PO's.

Stereo handstamps were designed to replace the rubber device stating in 1932 and were provided until mid-1958 with many continueing to be used beyond that date. Wide variations occurred with this device, but were darker & more uniform
the the rubber device.

Vinyl handstamps were designed to replace stereo devices in mid-1958 and are currently in use but in decline. This device produces many varations of inking.


Local Devices actually started before the USPO standardized the system going back to 1847 in Wheeling, VA now WV. Locals are considered to be non-contracted devices since the USPO did not directly order the device, but were order by the local Postmaster instead. There are 4 local devices:

1) Electroplates
2) Handstamps
3) Typesets
4) Mimeograph

Electroplates again were used when PO required large numbers of precancels and were deep black appearence & uniformly inked.

Handstamps were of course used in PO's with small numbers of precancels were needed. Again issues with showed wide variations & distortions as they wear. Also will find a wide range of ink colors, while most are black, they can be blue, red & voilet.

Typesets are pressed onto the stamp and were used in larger PO's needing large volume of precancels. These also leave a deep black impression uniformaly inked.

Mimeograph that requires modest numbers of precancels. Applied by typerwriter or mimeograph machine. This created a wide variety of spacing of lines & letters and blurred letters.

Then there is a sub-group of Local devices:

A) Silent Preancels
B) Integrals

Silent Precancels are precancels that are produced locally, but lacks the name of the issuing PO/City/Town. These can be applied by any local device desribed above and in addition pen, pencil & crayon.

Integrals started in 1938 when the USPO ruled that precancels above 6 cents must carry the month & year as well as the users initials. Precanceled stamps of many of the aforementioned devices were supplied to businesses who inturn added the additional overprint as require. These are the Sears (SRS) & Montgomery Wards (MW) to name a few.
These were applied by two device types:

a) Handstamp
b) Typeset

Warrehouse,
Well said... I wasn't sure how deep to go on this, to tell you the truth. Just to add a little to it, those locally contracted precancels are often the most difficult to find and identify, particularly for smaller cities.

-Allen

Thanks Allen,
Just try to keep us all on the straight & narrow here with precancels. This is a very interesting and underated area to collect.
Many of those locals are hard to fine as you said even if they are not valuable.
.
Take care!
Mike

Allen-

Very nice SG28...I only have SG28a:

Allen, My sides now hurt and I need to go change my shorts!

My first on a cover

Gussyboy1, the Lansing, Michigan cancel is indeed a precancel. It is Lansing L-1E, value listed in the town and type cat. as $10.00. The lines radiating from the center are representative of railroad tracks.

As this thread is so long and so old (nearly five years old now), I thought I would re-post the Lansing, MI L1-E precancel Wil Bobbin referred to just a couple of hours ago (it was located on page 3 of this thread):

I know it's supposed to represent RR tracks, but it looks like stitches... very cool.

I'm wondering if anyone can help identify these precancels. At least I'm pretty sure they are precancels. They are just not in a format I've seen. #1 & 2 are Rock Island, Ill and #3 is Boston, Mass.

The two Rock Island, Illinois precancels are Type L-1E.

Well, everyone has now talked me into collecting precancels. Very interesting side collecting. I just won 166 for Michigan on BidStart. I downloaded the album pages from PSS. Looking forward to putting this all together. As I progress, I'll try to post some images. Dan